Life on this planet: Mexico Trip Finalised

Now thanks to my December bonus payment albeit rather late due to the quirks of the 2017 calendar, I finally was able to complete my flights and hotel bookings for my Mexico trip in March.

Here's my itinerary......

After the very long flight from isolated little Perth, I arrive in Cancun on March 12 and spend two nights in Cancun.

Then on the 14th I fly to Villahermosa via Mexico City, then a 2 hour bus journey to the little settlement of Palenque where I will spent the next 5 nights.

Then on the 19th I fly up to Merida again via Mexico City, where I will spend the next 7 days before I head back to Cancun to finally head back on the very long journey back to isolated little Perth.

Now at least all my hotels and flights are now booked, these being the most expensive aspects of the trip. Now I have two months to save my pennies and decide which of the ancient Mayan sites to visit on my itinerary.

I pretty well spent all of my December bonus payment on the Merida leg of the trip. Although the flight to Merida is shorter than the flight to Villahermosa, it turned out to be more expensive. That is consequence of the late arrival of the December bonus payment due to the quirks of the 2017 calendar, another sting in the tail of the catastrophic year that was 2017.

Now just waiting on the last of my windfalls, the wage rise and backpay that will hopefully come in January. That will pay for the renewal of my Passport. Without renewing of my Passport I will not be going anywhere. That plus Australia's very high taxes will account for this backpay. So looks like there will still be that empty spot in my kitchen for another few months yet, the spot reserved for my fridge. The revised plan for the fridge will now be after my Mexico trip, and with my expensive annual appointments with the Heart Specialist in May, it will be June at the earliest when I will finally have my fridge. So yet another summer without a fridge. The effects of the catastrophic year that was 2017 will persist well into 2018.

Now I've booked my next overseas trip.

Way back in Primary School during a show and tell session, one of my classmates was relating an experience during vacation time, and he mentioned that he has been overseas...... then adding that the overseas destination was Rottnest Island.

OK for those fortunate souls outside of Perth, Rottnest Island is a small island located about 12 miles off the coast from Perth.

And despite being located only 12 miles off the coast, I have only ever been to Rottnest just once in my life, way back in the dim dark past of my teen years. One of the reasons why I haven't been back since in nearly 40 years, aside from the fact that "life happens", is because ferry tickets to the island is so expensive - like everything else in Perth!!!

However when I saw that the ET energy line, the Merredin Line, pretty well straddles the island from end to end, well I decided I need to go there to check out energies and as a different location for my walks.

Then I discovered that as being a member of the RAC, we get discounts on the ferry tickets. So I have purchased one of these e-vouchers using my $100 Visa debit card that I gotten from my points program.

Sometimes in the New Year, around January or February, I will be going "overseas", a day trip to Rottnest Island.

In case you're wondering - the name Rottnest is a Dutch term for Rat's Nest, from when the early Dutch explorers came by here four centuries ago and explored the island where they saw it populated by Quokkas, one of our Marsupials critters. The Dutch not knowing any better thought those Quokkas were rats hence Rat's Nest, and the name stuck ever since. There are still Quokkas there today.

Now for Xmas plans which for me it is the less the better, here on my last week at work before the short Xmas break. Xmas is the most overrate holiday, and second only to Valentine's Day as most despised holiday. It is the most stressful time of year, indeed Xmas stress is ranked among other stressors as divorce, moving house, and conflicts at work as being one of the most intense times of stress.

I work to minimise the stress as much as possible. I did my spot of Xmas shopping today, I just stick to boxes of chocolates or cookies. That way I get them all in one store plus something to wrap them in. I keep costs to a minimum where possible, indeed, my spending on Xmas is very scant compared to the norm. The average spend is I'm told about $1600. I spent not much more than $100, with $40 of it just for the greeting cards!! Some cards costs more than the bloody presents themselves!!!!

Also I get to the mall early, just after opening time. There were hardly anyone there, most come later in the day. So I literally beat the rush. I was able to park close to the door, and spent not much more than two hours at the mall, that includes the normal grocery shopping.

Social events are a nightmare for introverted me, especially at Xmas, so I keep them to a minimum as much as possible. But there are some I just can't get out of. Tomorrow is the Xmas lunch with my work colleagues. It's at Miss Mauds, and just happens to be across the road from where Mother used to work during the poverty years from Hell.

Then on Xmas Day itself is the usual Xmas lunch with the family, nothing much changes there, its the same every year. So when I survive that, it's the rest of the day to myself in recovery mode, looking forward to the week off work. I will be sure to check the planetary alignments for Xmas day, there is sure to be some intense aspect involving Chiron somewhere........

Meanwhile the alternative celebrations which I am much more happy with. We are currently celebrating Chanukah the Jewish festival of lights in commemoration of the miracle of the Menorah lights. In the 2nd century BC the Greeks were in control of the whole show including the Temple. However a ragged band of Jewish rebels managed to win back the Temple from those Greeks, and after cleaning out their relics of their rituals, they went to work setting up the Temple for rededication. There was however a slight snag. They could find only enough oil to keep the Menorah lights burning just one day. It takes 8 days to prepare a new batch of oil. They decided to light the Menorah anyway with just the one day's supply of oil...... and amazingly the Menorah lights remain lit for the whole 8 days until the new batch of oil was ready. The 8 days of Chanukah is in celebration of this miracle. And so on each night of Chanukah I have been lighting those candles, adding one candle per night. Tonight we're up to 6 candles, this being the 6th day of Chanukah.

Then on Friday we have the Solstice. Here it is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, so we celebrate the Pagan holiday called Litha. I have my shrines set up, with candles and the Goddesses, ready to celebrate Litha.